Friday, May 8, 2009

Buena Vista Social Club

On April 22, The Buena Vista Social Club came to Ankara. I came across the listing by accident, and was completely surprised such a cool (yet obscure) Cuban band was stopping in Ankara. Although we bought the cheapest (and furthest away) tickets, when we arrived, the venue was far from sold out, so we were able to snag seats in the third row. It was such a treat to hear live Cuban music.Although the original band members are dead, the spirit lives on. Here is a little history about them (thanks, Wikipedia):

The Buena Vista Social Club was a members club in Havana, Cuba that held dances and musical activities, becoming a popular location for musicians to meet and play during the 1940s. In the 1990s, nearly 50 years after the club was closed, it inspired a recording made by Cuban musician Juan de Marcos González and American guitarist Ry Cooder with traditional Cuban musicians, some of whom were veterans who had performed at the club during the height of its popularity.

The recording, named Buena Vista Social Club after the Havana institution, became an international success, and the ensemble was encouraged to perform with a full line-up in Amsterdam in 1998. German director Wim Wenders captured the performance on film, followed by a second concert in Carnegie Hall, New York City for a documentary that included interviews with the musicians conducted in Havana. Wenders's film, also called Buena Vista Social Club, was released to critical acclaim, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary feature and winning numerous accolades including Best Documentary at the European Film Awards.

The success of both the album and film sparked a revival of international interest in traditional Cuban music and Latin American music in general. Some of the Cuban performers later released well-received solo albums and recorded collaborations with international stars from different musical genres. The "Buena Vista Social Club" name became an umbrella term to describe these performances and releases, and has been likened to a brand label that encapsulates Cuba's "musical golden age" between the 1930s and 1950s. The new success was fleeting for the most recognizable artists in the ensemble: Compay Segundo, Rubén González, and Ibrahim Ferrer, who died at the ages of ninety-five, eighty-four, and seventy-eight respectively; Segundo and González in 2003, then Ferrer in 2005.

About Me

I currently teach in both the English for Academic Purposes Department and the Intensive ESL Department at Edmonds Community College, Lynnwood, WA. I have a M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction (University of MT, 2006), and a plethora of experience developing and presenting curriculum.